Family trip to the zoo
Gezinsuitje naar de dierentuin
- Describe different landscapes and animals.
- Organize a family activity at an attraction park.
- Learn about famous zoos or wildlife areas in your host country
- Indefinite pronouns (such as iemand, niemand, alles)
- Independent use of demonstrative pronouns
This lesson focuses on planning and describing a family trip to the zoo, introducing key Dutch words like "dierentuin" (zoo), "olifant" (elephant), and "tijger" (tiger), as well as essential pronouns such as "iemand" (someone) and "niemand" (no one). You will practice discussing animals, landscapes, and organizing outings using practical vocabulary and common past tense verbs.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (14) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
Tropisch
Tropical
2
Bewonderen
To admire
3
De tijger
The tiger
4
De woestijn
The desert
5
Het dier
The animal
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. We ____ veel dieren tijdens ons familie-uitje naar de dierentuin.
(We ____ many animals during our family outing to the zoo.)2. Iedereen ____ het tropische dierenverblijf omdat het bijzonder was.
(Everyone ____ the tropical animal enclosure because it was special.)3. Volgende week ____ we ook de nieuwe jungle-expositie bewonderen.
(Next week ____ we will also admire the new jungle exhibit.)4. Iemand ____ de kinderen rondleiden bij de olifanten in het park.
(Someone ____ the children around the elephants in the park.)Exercise 4: Family outing to the zoo
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Bezoeken - To visit
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik bezocht
- jij bezocht
- hij/zij bezocht
- wij bezochten
- jullie bezochten
- zij bezochten
Zien - To see
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik zag
- jij zag
- hij/zij zag
- wij zagen
- jullie zagen
- zij zagen
Vinden - To find
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik vond
- jij vond
- hij/zij vond
- wij vonden
- jullie vonden
- zij vonden
Bewonderen - To admire
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik bewonderde
- jij bewonderde
- hij/zij bewonderde
- wij bewonderden
- jullie bewonderden
- zij bewonderden
Hebben - To have
Onvoltooid verleden tijd
- ik had
- jij had
- hij/zij had
- wij hadden
- jullie hadden
- zij hadden
Hopen - To hope
Onvoltooid heden
- ik hoop
- jij hoopt
- hij/zij hoopt
- wij hopen
- jullie hopen
- zij hopen
Gaan - To go
Onvoltooid heden
- ik ga
- jij gaat
- hij/zij gaat
- wij gaan
- jullie gaan
- zij gaan
Exercise 5: Onbepaalde voornaamwoorden (zoals iemand, niemand, alles)
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Indefinite pronouns (such as iemand, niemand, alles)
Show translation Show answersiemand, Iedereen, niets, Men, Alle, iets
Exercise 6: Zelfstandig gebruik van aanwijzende voornaamwoorden
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Independent use of demonstrative pronouns
Show translation Show answersDat, die, dat, Die, deze
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
A2.20.2 Grammatica
Onbepaalde voornaamwoorden (zoals iemand, niemand, alles)
Indefinite pronouns (such as iemand, niemand, alles)
A2.20.3 Grammatica
Zelfstandig gebruik van aanwijzende voornaamwoorden
Independent use of demonstrative pronouns
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Zien see Share Copied!
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) zag | I saw |
| (jij) zag / zagde | you saw |
| (hij/zij/het) zag | he/she/it saw |
| (wij) zagen | we saw |
| (jullie) zagen | you saw |
| (zij) zagen | they saw |
Bezoeken to visit Share Copied!
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) bezocht | I visited |
| (jij) bezocht | you visited |
| (hij/zij/het) bezocht | he/ she/ it visited |
| (wij) bezochten | we visited |
| (jullie) bezochten | you visited |
| (zij) bezochten | they visited |
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Family Trip to the Zoo - Lesson Overview
This lesson focuses on vocabulary and expressions related to planning and describing a family visit to a zoo, specifically inspired by Dutch zoos like Beekse Bergen and others. It is designed for A2 level learners of Dutch, emphasizing practical communication and expanding knowledge about animals, landscapes, and zoo-related interactions.
Key Language Topics
- Indefinite pronouns such as iemand (someone), niemand (no one), and alles (everything), which are essential for generalizing or referring to unknown people or things.
- Use of demonstrative pronouns in independent forms to point out animals, places, or objects (e.g., die giraffen - those giraffes).
- Past and present tense verbs related to actions during the zoo trip, focusing on common verbs like zien (to see), bezoeken (to visit), hebben (to have), and gaan (to go).
Practical Expressions and Dialogue Practice
The lesson includes dialogues where learners can practice planning a zoo visit with family members, describing animals and various landscape types within the zoo, and sharing information about famous Dutch zoos like Artis and Burgers’ Zoo.
Example dialogue snippets include:
- "Zullen we dit weekend naar de dierentuin gaan?" (Shall we go to the zoo this weekend?)
- "We kunnen ook iemand meenemen die gids kan zijn." (We can also take someone along who can be a guide.)
- "Kijk, die giraffen staan in het bosachtige gebied." (Look, those giraffes are in the forest-like area.)
Verb Conjugation and Story Practice
The lesson supports verb practice with multiple-choice exercises focusing on past tense conjugations, particularly useful verbs for discussing past events:
- zagen (saw)
- bezocht (visited)
- gaan (go - present tense)
- zal (will - future auxiliary)
A short story about a family zoo outing is also provided to aid reading comprehension and reinforce past tense usage in context.
Relevant Differences Between English and Dutch
Dutch uses different indefinite pronouns that sometimes correspond to English forms, but their usage can be more flexible and frequent in everyday conversation. For example, iemand means "someone," and niemand means "no one," similar to English, but their placement and compounds differ.
Demonstrative pronouns like die (those) are used independently in Dutch, where English might require a noun to follow or would use "those" differently.
Regarding verbs, Dutch often places auxiliary verbs such as zal for future intentions, whereas English uses "will". Verb conjugations also vary; past tense forms like bezocht (visited) are regular but must be memorized.
Useful Words and Phrases
- de dierentuin - the zoo
- het landschap - the landscape
- de olifanten - the elephants
- zullen we - shall we
- gaan (gaan maken) - to go (to make, as in 'to make a trip')
- hebben plezier - to have fun
- kijken - to look
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